Eco-Economy

If money were no object, I would mail copies of Lester Brown's "Eco-Economy" and Paul Hawken's "Natural Capitalism" to every CEO, country leader, and business school dean on the planet. Eco-Economy is a well-researched, balanced, detailed portrayal of where the world is today ecologically, and where the world could be in the future, depending on the choices we make (or fail to make) when it comes to managing our fragile and taxed natural environmnent.Brown makes his case clear: it is now time for ecologists to team up with economists to ensure that the prices we pay for all goods and services "tell the ecological truth". One of the most critical examples is the price we pay in North America for gasoline: the pump price has never reflected the total true costs that are borne by members of society and by the natutal environment. Until governments impose gasoline taxes that reflect those total true costs, the fossil fuel resource will continue to be undervalued and wasted.To read Eco-Economy is to go on an emotional roller coaster ride. The earlier chapters accurately describe the perilous state of many ecological systems, such as life-sustaining aquifers being depleted or contaminated, and irreversible soil erosion due to the removal of trees. I found these chapters well worth reading, but very disturbing. What is good news for the reader and, more important, good news for the planet, is that Brown offers numerous examples of how we can (technically, at least; if we could now just muster the required political will) stop or even reverse our erstwhile environmentally damaging behaviour -- in other words, "how to get there from here".Brown identifies sustainability-related opportunities and responsibilities for all key sectors of the human race: government leaders, business CEOs, NGOs, academics. Further, Brown reminds us that lone individuals can make a difference, too: the publishing of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring represented a much-needed "threshold" that prompted the world to re-think its use of DDT. Thus, for those of us who do not run a government or a company, we have the power of the pen on our side, and we can choose to exercise that power.

Lester Brown, Chairman of the Worldwatch Institute, which is known for the high quality of its reports, presents his vision of an environmentally sustainable economy - an eco-economy. The purpose of his book is to show that we have no alternative to restructuring the economy if we want economic progress, to describe with some degree of confidence what the eco-economy will look like and to outline a strategy of how to get there in the time available. After cataloguing the grim decline in the planet's ability to carry on with business as usual, and pointing out that mismanagement is destroying forests, rangelands, fisheries and croplands, - the four eco-systems that supply our food and, except for minerals, all our raw materials - Eco-Economy provides hope that the solutions are within our reach, affordable and can lead to new employment opportunities and a higher standard of living. An economy is sustainable only if it respects the principles of ecology; if it does not, it will decline and eventually collapse; there is no middle ground. Relying on distorted market signals to guide investment decisions is a recipe for disaster. We need a change in mind set similar to that when our ancestors accepted that the earth revolves around the sun. Twenty five years ago the concept of environmentally sustainable development - restoring carbon balances, stabilizing population and water tables, conserving forests, soils and plant/animal diversity - was introduced but not one country is progressing satisfactorily on all fronts. Nonetheless glimpses of the eco-economy are visible. Many countries have stabilized their population - the first requirement for a sustainable future, - banned construction of coal-fired power plants or nonrefillable beverage containers, reforested, and encouraged use of bicycles. These are all facets of building a sustainable economy in marked contrast to the fossil-fuel-based, automobile-centered, throwaway economy of today.Perhaps the most profound change will occur in the energy field where wind-generated energy at a cost as low as four cents per watt is likely to be a major source of energy for the foreseeable future. By electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen during slack times we have the means of storing wind energy and, in due course, of transporting it through defunct oil and gas pipe lines. Use of natural gas will keep expanding for the present as it is an ideal fuel for the transition from a carbon-based economy to one based on hydrogen. Together, electricity and hydrogen can meet all the needs of a modern society. Other renewable sources of energy will play a lesser role. During the 1990s photovoltaic sales increased by an average of 20% per year, climbing by 43% in 2000, while the capacity of geothermal increased by 4% and hydro by 2%. Energy conservation and efficiency is still the best investment we can make with such items as compact fluorescent lamps having a very rapid pay back. The United States could meet the Kyoto p

The dominant worldview today is one where the environment is merely a subset of the economy. In Eco-Economy Lester Brown forcefully argues the case for a new worldview; the need for an eco-economy. The opening chapters of Eco-Economy make sombre reading. Lester Brown draws on his vast knowledge and experience to explain that nearly every area of human activity is at or above ecologically sustainable limits. If China were to consume as much fish per capita as Japan it would consume the world's entire catch. If every Chinese home had one or two cars in the garage like the US China would need more oil than the world currently produces. In order to meet the expanding demand for food China has ploughed and overgrazed areas in its northwest creating some of the largest dust storms ever recorded. The water table under the North China Plain which produces 25 percent of China's grain is falling at a rate of 1.5 metres per year. However, the problem of overpumping aquifiers is not confined to China. This problem is also impacting on agricultural production in India, the US and elsewhere. The bad news continues: the world's forests are shrinking by 9 million hectares per year (an area the size of Portugal); two thirds of oceanic fisheries are being fished at or above their sustainable yield; and increasing atmospheric CO2 levels are driving an increase in global temperatures. If the opening chapters of this book cannot convince the reader of the need for an eco-economy nothing will. Lester Brown uses the rest of the book to identify the characteristics of an eco-economy and detail a path for getting there. Some countries have already adopted elements of an eco-economy. Many European countries and Japan have stabilised their populations and China is moving toward population stability. Denmark generates 15 percent of its electricity from wind power. The eco-economy that Lester Brown envisages runs on hydrogen instead of oil and its cities are designed for people (and bicycles) not cars. Wind turbine engineers, bicycle mechanics and and family planning midwives will be the growth areas of employment in the new economy. The main elements of the path to an eco-economy are stabilising population, restructuring the economy--mainly via subsidies and tax shifting, and greater leadership and responsibility from all sectors of society. The final question Lester Brown asks is "Is there enough time?" It is already too late to save the Aral Sea, but there is still time if we move quickly. What is needed is a "war effort" where understanding the magnitude of the threat faced leads to rapid action being taken. What is needed is a a world that reacts as swiftly to rising CO2 emmissions as it does to rising interest rates. Lester Brown's vision for an eco-economy is not so much a radical one as a necessary one. Anything less than the action he proposes will result in future disaster on a global scale. It is something that can be achieved within the existing political framewo

Lester Brown occupies an unique position, as former president and founder of the Worldwatch Institute and current president of the Earth Policy Institute (check out both sites online). Not only does he want to make a change, but he has access to information that is truly global in scope. There may perhaps be no other author with such an intimate understanding of the trends that now face humanity at the dawn of this new century. The first quarter of the book provides a bird's-eye view of our planet, a planet in decline. Whatever undefined notions you might have had about what writer Thomas Berry has termed 'ecocide' will suddenly be very clear. Afer a litany of statistics that are absolutely mind-boggling, Brown's statement, "we are losing the war to save the planet," no longer smacks of hyperbole. However, this is no pessimist's rant. The next third of the book outlines a stunning vision of Brown's eco-economy. Don't mistake, this is not eco-utopia - but damn close! Cars that produce water as waste. Sustainable fisheries and forest that don't collapse. An economy based on wind and solar-power. His vision of a sustainable tomorrow is nothing less than the measure of today. I hesitate to think of what will happen if we continue with business as usual, that is, if we continue with our fossil-fuel-based, automobile-centered, throwaway economy. The last third of the book outlines the practical steps we must make in order to bring about this eco-era. These include: a tax shift that hits messy industries, the end of government subsidized deforestation, quality ecolabeling (voting with our wallets), and tradable permits that set well-defined limits on, say, units of fish caught per year. Brown, like so many oher eco-economists, also emphasizes the need to work within the limits of our natural capital (nature's productive and absorbtion capacity). Every section of this book is cogently argued, factual and compelling, and his ideas for change are stunning. From the role of NGOs and the United Nations to individual initiatives, like green power options, this book is very down to earth and pragmatic about change. Unlike most studies in ecology, economics, or politics, Brown doesn't limit himself to one aspect of the discussion. You get the facts, a comprehensive vision, and the concrete steps required to bring that vision into reality. This is a must read for anybody interested in environmentalism, economics, futurism, or governmental policy in general. The Washington Post nailed it on the head when they described Brown as "One of the world's most influential thinkers." Read this book, and see the world through this remarkable man's eyes. Essential reading. j.w.k.

Veteran environmentalist Lester Brown has divided his book into three sections. In the first, he describes the current degraded state of the planet. The author reveals many alarming facts about climate change, falling water tables, and the stressed biological base. The author builds a solid case that the earth will not be able to support the current throw-away lifestyle indefinitely, and that attempts to extend this short-term mentality to the third world are pointless.The second section discusses the "new economy". Here, Brown contrasts green technologies with the status quo, including: wind, solar and hydrogen power vs. fossil fuels; recycling vs. mining; sustainable forestry vs. clear cutting; raising water productivity vs. depleting aquifers; mass transit vs. automobiles; and more. In each instance, the author makes a compelling case why it makes economic as well as environmental sense for society to switch to environmental-friendly solutions. In the last section, Brown shows us how to get "from here to there". While he acknowledges that entrenched economic interests will fight to avoid change, the author writes confidently because he knows that change MUST occur. Brown points out that if humanity does not have the foresight to choose the sustainable path today, the environmental catastrophes we are creating for ourselves will eventually force us to change tomorrow. He goes on to write about common-sense public and private sector policies that could be used to help effect the transition to an "eco-economy" in a fair and reasonable manner. The author is optimistic in that he believes environmental collapse is not inevitable. He cites evidence that new practices are in fact being implemented in many places, albeit in a piecemeal and inadequate fashion. What's missing is the large-scale, coordinated effort needed to reverse the current situation, which will require consensus among leaders in industry and government.Brown's message is sane, articulate and persuasive. Let's hope that the message in this excellent book is heeded sooner rather than later.